News & Public Notices

Canning Bridge Precinct Structure Plan

Media Response
22 January 2016

Canning Bridge

Please attribute the following comments to City of South Perth Chief Executive Officer Geoff Glass

What is the Canning Bridge Precinct Structure Plan?
The Canning Bridge Structure Plan (CBSP) has been prepared in accordance with the State Planning Policy 4.2 Activity Centres for Perth and Peel (2010) and the Western Australian Planning Commission’s Structure Plan Preparation Guidelines (2012). The area known as the Canning Bridge Activity Centre comprises certain land in Applecross within the City of Melville and also land in Como within the City of South Perth. Design Guidelines forming part of the CBSP will guide all future development in this area.

I understand that the Canning Bridge towers plan has been unveiled. What does this entail?
The City is not aware of a plan known as “Canning Bridge Towers”, however this may be reference to the Activity Centre Structure Plan, which allows for the redevelopment of the precinct. The areas closest to the Canning Bridge Railway Station are to be mixed use and have the highest development potential. Further from the station, the uses are to remain primarily residential, but with greater height than present and a more intensive built form.

Can you confirm whether the City South Perth has the green light on the Canning Bridge Structural Plan from the WA Planning Council. Someone mentioned that while Melville has it and is now considering applications for developments to proceed, South Perth is still waiting the final go ahead.
In December 2015, the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) approved the Structure Plan subject to a number of minor changes. These changes are being finalised.

In the City of South Perth, no development applications have been lodged yet based on the Structure Plan Design Guidelines. Before development applications can be considered under these guidelines, the changes to the Structure Plan as above require completion. In addition, the Structure Plan Design Guidelines will not become operational until a related amendment to the City of South Perth Town Planning Scheme No. 6 (Amendment No. 47) has been approved by the Minister for Planning and published in the Government Gazette.

What projects have been identified that are waiting to put applications in?
City officers have had discussions with a number of landowners, however these remain confidential until such time as an application is submitted.

Clearly many developments are currently underway so what will the structural plan approval allow developers to do that they couldn’t do before? Is it all about the magnitude of these developments? Could something literally be too small?
The Canning Bridge Precinct will progress with larger developments in the future, taking place over many years. Smaller houses will exist alongside larger developments for a long time, however to build new small houses in the future would not be the best use of the land and ultimately will not result in good amenity for the occupants of such dwellings.
Are you able to provide any additional information?
Scheme Amendment No. 47 will be considered at the 8 March 2016 meeting of the WAPC’s Statutory Planning Committee. The WAPC could possibly require changes to Amendment No. 47 before it is sent to the Minister for Planning for final approval.

While the timing remains uncertain, by mid-2016, the City of South Perth should be able to receive development applications based on the Canning Bridge Structure Plan Design Guidelines.

Additional information on the Canning Bridge Precinct Vision and Structure Plan is available on the City’s website.